the-adventure-of-huckleberry-finn

On“TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn”TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnwrittenbyMarkTwainin1884iswidelyaccountedasoneofthefirstGreatAmericanNovels.Thebookhasbeenpopularwithyoungreaderssinceitsbeingpublished.ItisalsooneofthefirstmajorAmericannovelseverwrittenintheliterarygenreofLocalColorRealism.Accordingtomypersonalunderstanding,theAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnmainlytellsthestoryofateenagerwhofindshimselffloatingonaraftdowntheMississippiRiverwithanescapingslave,Jim.Inthecourseoftheirperilousjourney,HuckandJimmeetadventures,dangersandacastofcharacterswhoaresometimesmenacing.Ofcourse,thecentralfigureofthenovelisHuckleberryFinn,thesonofthetowndrunkard.Atthebeginning,fromMarkTwain’sintroductiononthebackgroundofFinnweknowthatHuckhasgrownintoafree-wheelingsortofhumanbeingwhoisthehappiestashehasfewestsocialresponsibilities.Hedoesnotneedtothinkaboutreligionthewayotherpeopledo,becauseheseemsmoreinterestedinenjoyingthecomfortsofthemoment.Huckisalittlesuperstitious,butheisnothypocriticalorsneaky.Hedoesnotliketopleasepeopleasothersoftendid,especiallyifitwoulddonogood.Hewantsmainlytobelefttohisowndevices,tosleepinhishogshead,towearhisoldragsandtoeathisfoodallmixedup.Thoughheisessentiallygood-hearted,heislookeddownuponbytherestofthevillage.Hedislikescivilizedwaysbecausetheyarepersonallyrestrictiveandhard.Heisgenerallyignorantofbook-learning,buthehasasharplydevelopedsensibility.Heisimaginativeandsmart,andhasasharpeyefordetails,thoughhedoesnotalwaysunderstandeverythingheobservesinthesociety,oritssignificance.Huckisessentiallyarealist.Andpartlyduetolittleeducationhehasreceived,Huckknowsonlywhatheseesandexperiences.Hedoesn’thaveagreatdealoffaithinthingshereadsorhears.Hemustexperimenttofindoutwhatistrueandwhatisnot.WithhissharplyobservantpersonalityheisabletobelieveJim’ssuperstitionatsometimes,toscoffatitatothers.What’smore,wecanfindsomechangeshappentoHuckduringthecourseofthenovel.Hebecomesmoremature,morehumane,andmoreself-reliantasaresultofhisexperienceandhisassociationwithJim.HucklearnswhatrealfriendshipmeansandhegrowstovalueandcherishhisfriendshipwithJim.InthebeginningofthenovelhejoinsTominplayingajokeonJim,buttowardstheend,hecrieswhenJimissoldtoPhelpsfamilybythekingandtheduke.TheturningpointinHuck’srelationshipwithJimcamewhenHuckhumbledhimselfafterheplayedthegameonJimthenighttheywereseparatedonthefoggyriver.Asaresultofthisfriendship,Huckcomestoplacemoretrustinhisexperiences,ratherthaninwhathehasbeentaught.Whathelearnsoutofbooksistoofarremovedfromdailylifetobeofanyusetohim.FromthecharacterofHuck,wecanhaveaglanceoftheattitudeofMarkTwain’stowardsthesocialprejudiceanddiscriminationagainsttheblackaround1850inAmerica.Thepublichavenotrealizedtheinjusticeofracism;insteadtheyjustblindlyfollowwhatissetinlawandholdwhatperceptionrecognizedbytherulingclasses.Differentfromthem,asamemberoftheverylowestlevelofsociety,Huckismoreofasonofnature,whoisbarelyinfluencedbythepopularopinionandwhatistaughtinschool.Tohim,toseeistobelieve.Toseekthetruthandtofacetherealitythatwhatisheldbeforeiswrongisreallyapainstakingprocessforthislittleboy,butitisachievableasinthelastHuckcomestoacknowledgeJimasaproperhumanbeing,evenoneofthebesthehaseverknown.ThroughthementalityandhumanitygrowthofHuck,MarkTwainindirectlysatirizestheignoranceofthepublic.Theyareblindedbythesurfacethatevenachildisabletoseethrough.Theyareeagerinthepursuitofaworldwithequality,democracy,andfreedom,whilewhattheyaredoingistowardsthecompletelyoppositedirection.AnotherfigureIneedtomentionisJim,MissWatson’sslave,andtheveryonesignificanthumancharacterHuckmeetsinthenovel.AsidefromHuck,Jimstandsheadandshouldersaboveallthecharactersinthebook,ineveryrespect.Heismoral,realistic,andkindinthewaysofhumannature.HeappearsattimesasasubstitutefatherforHuck,lookingafterhim,helpinghim,andteachinghimtheworldaroundhim.Thejusticedestroyedbytheinstitutionofslaveryisgivendeepexpressioninhispathos.AndwhatmakesmehappyisthatJimgetsfreedomatlast.Thoughsomeofthesituationsinthisbookarefunnyinthemselves,Ithinkthisbook'shumorisfoundmostlyinHuck'suniqueworldviewandhiswayofexpressinghimself.Thisbookcontrastsachild’sinnocencetoadults’vile.AlthoughHuckismoreorlessaffectedbythewhitepeopleintheperceptionofthingsaroundhim,yetheisstillanaughtyboy,whopreservestheinnocenceandchildishness.AsfarasIamconcerned,byreflectingMarkTwain’sattitudetowardstheindividualresponsiblefortheinjusticesandinhumanitiesdonetothepoorandhelpless,thebookcontainsmuchthatcanbecalledsocialcomment.Initsliteraryformthiscommentiscalledsatire.Thatis,itspurposeistomakepeoplerecognizetheirignoranceatthesametimetheyarelaughatthemistakestheyhavemadebecauseoftheirridiculousstereotypeimpartedbytheso-calledauthoritativeclass.Bylaughingattheirownfolliesandfaults,peoplecanbemadetochangetheirways.Inamoredirectway,TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnisabookofsocialcriticisminsofarasMarkTwaindescribesintolerableignoranceandcrudityfromHuck’spointofview,andhasHuckcommentonthestupidityandcrueltywhichunderliethem.Huckisquicktoseethecrueltyoftarringandfeatheringthekingandduke,andofchainingJim